Bacon Ledges Trail

Distance: 1.2 miles oneway with options for longer

Difficulty: Easy side of moderate

Located in Stoddard, New Hampshire is the trail to Bacon Ledges. From Rt 123 in Stoddard take Shedd Hill Road, than an immediate right onto Old Antrim Road, which is unmarked. This is a narrow dirt road that goes by several houses. About a half mile past the last house you see will be a turnout and the trailhead. There is a brown trail sign on the left hand side of the road marking the trail. I read many posts that the road was challenging at times, but I think the road has been fixed up as we did not see any issues.

The trail meanders through the woods for about a half mile of fairly flat walking. The trail is marked by yellow blazes.

The second half of the trail is a steady incline up to a small rock scramble right before you reach the summit.

The rocky summit provides beautiful views of Highland Lake looking toward the fire tower at Pitcher Mountain and Mt Monadnock in the distance.

After enjoying the view walk behind the ledges to a carin.

A few feet back from the carin is a view looking towards the northeast. It is not as good as the first view, but still pretty.

From here you can continue to Round Mountain and Trout Pond. We did not continue, we turn around and headed back to the truck. Our round trip was almost 3 miles. We did pull several ticks off of us, tick spray did help on the hike back. Make sure you do a good tick check.

Overall I loved this hiked it reminded me of Gap Mountain and Kidder Mountain. For little effort there were some beautiful views. After your hike make sure you stop at Mills Village Country Store for sandwich or ice cream.

Seccombe Trail

Distance: Just under a mile loop.

Difficulty: Easy with gradual incline

Located behind Adams Playground on Union Street in Peterborough, NH is this short loop up to the gravesite of William Seccombe. Seccombe was a sea captain who served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Spanish American War.

To access the trail, park in the dirt parking lot next to the tennis courts. Towards the back of the parking lot is the trailhead.

The trail can be a little tricky to follow as there are several paths that crisscross it. As long as you follow the blue trail markers it is fairly easy to navigate.

The trail goes up a gentle incline until you reach a large boulder and a side trail (red trail markers). From the boulder take a right, onto the side trail, a few hundred feet up is the burial site of the sea captain and his family.

After returning to the boulder follow the remainder of the trail to the backside of the pool at the Adams Playground.

The trail is a little under a mile and a nice historical walk through the woods. During my hike I did see a fox and a deer, which was enjoyable.

Winnekenni Castle Trails

Distance: Varies

Difficulty: Easy

Located in Haverhill Massachusetts is Winnekenni Castle and Park. I am not familiar with many hikes in Massachusetts so I was thankful for my 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Boston book. This is a multi use park with trails for walking, hiking, biking, a pond, tennis courts and a playground. There was also tennis courts, but I am not sure if they are for public use as there was some school teams playing. Our goal was to hike up to the castle. We parked along side of the road near the tennis courts and walked the road until we got to the trail. We did notice additional parking near the trailhead.

We followed the dirt path until we saw the sign for the Castle Trail.

The trail meandered around the side of a hill and was pretty easy to follow.

It was only about a half mile up to the castle, which is beautiful. They hold various events and weddings at the castle. There is a road up to the castle, but we enjoyed walking up to it.

We did not explore the other trails, but saw lots of people walking. The trail around the pond looked pretty to explore.

If you are in the Haverhill area this is a beautiful place to visit the castle and get a little hike in.

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Bancroft Castle

Distance: .2 miles

Difficulty: short walk, but straight up

Bancroft Castle located in Groton MA is a popular short hike with some beautiful views. The history of this castle was build by a General in the early 1900’s. Unfortunately he ran out of money before finishing the property and it was sold to a local doctor who used it as a sanatorium. After the sanatorium closed the castle was turned into a hunting club before it burned in 1932.

There are two parking options. One behind Gibbett Hill Restaurant off of Lowell Rd. The second option is on Lowell Road, but there is limited parking and it is closed from dusk to dawn. We were able to get a parking on Lowell Road. It is a short, but steep walk up to the castle.

The castle ruins are beautiful and so fun to walk around.

When I posted a video on Instagram, I had so many people message me that they take photo’s there.

Make sure you walk up the path/hill and check out the beautiful view.

Brennan Falls

Distance: 1 Mile, oneway

Difficulty: Easy

Brennan Falls is a small waterfall located in Francestown, New Hampshire. From Route 47 turn onto Campbell Hill Road. The road turns to dirt. Follow the road for a quarter of a mile. On the left is a class six dirt road next to a driveway. The road is lined with rock walls on both sides. Depending on your vehicle you can park on the side of the road or you can drive the quarter of a mile to the trailhead. We drove in without an issue with our truck. I would not have brought my SUV on this road.

After you walk or drive the quarter of a mile there is a fork in the road, bare left into the parking area. You will see the trailhead with a kiosk.

The trail is an old road. There are limited trail markings, but fairly easy to follow.

Follow the trail until you come to a pond. Walk along the pond a short distance until a fork in the trail. To the right goes towards an old dam and the left continues to the falls.

After baring left you walk a little further until you take a right over a small bridge.

The trail leads through the woods with minimal trail markers until you reach the falls. With the amount of leaves on the ground the trail was hard to follow at times.

Brennan Falls is a small waterfall, but still beautiful. It reminded me of a smaller version of Senter Falls in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire.

Brennan Falls is a fairly easy hike. It is between 3/4 of mile to 1 mile to the falls depending on were you park. There are gentle inclines throughout the trail. The trail does go near private property, please be respectful. Even though it is a small falls we still enjoyed it.

Tucker Brook North

Distance: 1.5 Miles

Difficulty: Easy

Loop Trail

Tucker Brook North Trail is located on Whitten Road in Milford, NH and is an extension of Tucker Brook Forest Trail. If you are coming from Market Basket the trail is on the left hand side of the road. It is marked with a small trail sign. Parking for this trail is on the side of the road, this is a residential area so make sure you are not parking on someone’s property.

There are two trails, one follows Tucker Brook off to the left and another that goes straight into the woods. We took the trail that follows the brook. he trail follows the book for a little over half mile.

The trail then turns into the woods. There is a trail off to the right that goes back to the trailhead. Continue straight on the trail and up a slight hill. The trail takes a right and goes up to a small lookout. In the summer I am not sure if you can see anything due to the tree’s.

The trail continues through the woods and circles back to the main trail before returning to the trailhead. The trail is well marked and easy to follow.

There is not a great lookout, but if you want an easy short walk in the woods this is a great trail. The trail is 1.5 miles long and perfect for all abilities.

Sea Caves at Arthur Park

Distance: .3 miles one way

Difficulty: Easy

Only accessible when the pond is frozen.

Located on North Avenue in Burlington, Vermont is a cool natural formation. The Sea Caves at Arthur Park are a must see in the winter if you are in Burlington. Parking is in the student parking at the high school and you walk across the street to the trailhead. There is a small sign marking the trail.

It is a steep downhill walk to the pond.

Once at the bottom of the hill you walk out onto the pond. It looks like a popular place to ice skate. After walking a few feet you come to the cave. Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront has some history this cave.

The cave is small, but very cool.

It’s a short walk, only a third of a mile to the cave, but worth the stop if you are in the area. This cave is only accessible in the winter when the pond is frozen.

Skatutakee and Thumb Mountain

Distance: 5 Mile Loop

Difficulty: Moderate

The Harris Center has an array of hiking trails from the Channing Trail, Cobb Hill, North Pond Trail and many more. Probably the most well known trails are those up Skatutakee and Thumb Mountain. The trailheads is at the Harris Center on Kings Highway Road. Park in the center’s parking lot and head across the road to the trailhead. As you are walking up the trail make sure you keep your eyes open for beautiful wood carvings along the trail.

It is about a half mile hike to the fork in the trail. Right is Thumb Mountain on the Thumb’s Down Trail. Left is the Harriskat Trail to Skatutakee Mountain. We chose the Harriskat Trail to start our loop. The trail winds through the forest and makes a gradual incline up to the top of Skatutakee Mountain. It is a little over a mile from the split in the trail to the summit of Skatutakee.

It has been a couple years since we have been to the summit. The last time it was becoming overgrown. It was nice to see the trees have been cut back to get a beautiful view of Crotched Mountain and the Wapack Trail.

From Skatutakee’s summit we continued the loop via the Thumbs Up Trail. It is a little under a mile between the Skatutakee summit and the trail to Thumb Mountain. It is fairly flat through this trail. The Thumb Mountain trail is at the intersection of the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down Trail. It is less than a half mile to the summit, it’s a steady incline up.

From Thumb Mountain summit you get sweeping views of Mt Monadnock.

After returning to the Thumbs Down Trail we headed back towards the Harris Center. On the way back we took a little stop to enjoy Jack’s Pond.

We continued down the trail which connected at the fork of the Harriskat and Thumbs Down Trail. Once back at the Harris Center we did a little over five miles. My husband and I loved this hike. Both summits offered beautiful views, but our favorite was the view from Thumb Mountain’s summit. Due to the difficulty in some spots and the distance of this trail it is for those who have some hiking experience.

Night at Ashworth by the Sea

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As many times as I have driven the strip at Hampton or walked the beach I have never stayed overnight. I have always been curious about staying at Ashworth by the Sea, so when we had to be in Hampton for a sports tournament I thought this was a perfect opportunity to stay the night.

With it being December I was hoping to get a good deal. After searching a few different travel websites, the best deal was at booking.com. For $197 for the night we got a room with a partial view of the beach.

We arrived early evening on a Friday night. There is valet parking, but since it was the off season we were able to park directly across the street. The lobby was beautifly decorated for Christmas.

With it being the off season there was no resort or parking fee. At the check in the staff were very friendly. Our room was located on the second floor, on the side of the building. Walking to our room, there were a couple dirty dishes near the wall and the hallway smelled a little musty. Our room was clean and had everything we needed.

Picture taken the following morning, hence why the beds are not made.

We had a balcony with a partial view of Hampton Beach.

For dinner we decided to eat in the hotel so we did not have to drive anywhere. The Breakers is located off the lobby of the hotel. The night we visited it was very quiet, which is probably expected in the off season.

Our waiter was very friendly. The restaurant was neat and clean. Unfortunately our meal was subpar. I had fish and chips and the fish was fresh, but the coleslaw smelled like it had gone bad. My husband had a steak sandwich, it was ok. My daughter had a steak tip Caesar salad and could not eat it as the meat tasted like it had gone bad. Our meal was almost $100. I would not eat there again. When we are in the area again, I would choose to go to Throwback Brewery or Smuttynose Brewery. We have eaten at both these breweries and they are very good.

After dinner we took a moonlit walk on the beach.

After the walk, we took a dip in the pool. The pool area was ok, it was clean. There was an older heater and when it was on it was very warm in the pool area, but when it was off it felt cool. The pool itself was not warm. In the summer months I am sure it is fine, but not ideal in the winter months.

The following morning I got to check something off my bucket list, watch the sunrise at the beach. A storm was coming in that evening so I was worried I would not get to see it, but Mother Nature did not disappointment. A three mile beach walk while watching the sunrise was a perfect way to start the day.

Breakfast was at our favorite bagel place, Ani’s Bagels, in Exeter, NH. They have the freshest bagels I have ever had.

We spent the rest of the day at our daughters sporting event. Overall our stay was ok for one night, but we would not stay there again. The smell in the hallway, subpar restaurant, high price for off season and substandard pool area made me feel like we could find better beach option in the off season.

Buck Meadow Conservation Area

Distance: 1 Mile Loop

Difficulty: Easy

Located on Route 101A in Amherst is Buck Meadow Conservation Area. This use to be a golf course that has been turned into a recreation and conservation area. The parking lot is large and fits several vehicles. This is a multi use trail for hiking, walking, shoeshoeing and cross country skiing.

From the parking lot you bare left towards the edge of the woods and a kiosk with a trail map.

Follow the trail around the edge of the woods. There are trail markers with directions to a couple side trails.

The trails are easy to follow. In total the loop and side trails are only a mile. If you don’t want to drive, want a place to walk the dog, or easy place to snowshoe or cross country ski this is the perfect spot.

There is a another trailhead off Stearns Road in Amherst, but there is only enough parking for one or two cars.

Poet's Seat Tower

Distance: .4 Miles

Difficulty: Easy

Poet’s Seat Tower is not much of a hiking trail, but worth the stop if you are in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Located on Mountain Road is a small parking lot leading up to Poet’s Seat Tower. The “trail” is an old tarred road that leads to a beautiful lookout.

Follow the road up a gentle incline for .4 miles to the Poet’s Tower.

You can climb to almost the top of the tower, where you get sweeping views of the town of Greenfield.

If you walk a few feet past the tower there are a few slate seats where you can sit and enjoy the view. I think this would be a perfect spot watch the sunset.

If you are in the area this is a great place to stop to check out the tower and the view.

Dubes Pond Trail

Distance: Varies

Difficulty: Easy

Dubes Pond Trail is located on Route 27 in Hooksett. I happened across this trail when I needed to kill some time. The only parking is on side of the road. Make sure you do not block the gate or entrance to the pond.

The trail follows a snowmobile trail. At times the path is rocky to walk on. It is very easy to follow.

The trail skirts around Dubes Pond, but there is not much of a view of the pond from this part of the trail. I walked about three quarters of a mile up the trail before turning around. Per All Trails, if you continue down this trail you reach Manchester Waterworks and Bear Brook State Park.

On my way back to the car I noticed there was a trail on the right right that went towards the pond and decided to explore it. This was the best part of the trail as it walked along the edge of Dubes Pond.

This part of the Dubes Pond Trail had several opportunities to enjoy the water views.

I ended up walking almost two miles on this trail. The main trail was not my favorite as it was just walking down a snowmobile trail, but I did enjoy the loop along the pond on the way back. If you are in the area and need to kill some time this is a great option.

Wheeler trail

Distance: .6 Mile Loop

Difficulty: Easy

The Wheeler Trail is located on Route 101 in Peterborough, New Hampshire between Old Street Road and Route 202. If you are coming from the East the trail is a little hard to spot due to placement of the trailhead sign, but it is on the right hand side.

I always thought this trail was a cut off trail to Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail, but it’s a little more than that.

From the small parking lot, follow the trail to the first split. There are two bridges, this is the start of a loop, so you can go either way.

We went to the left and followed the trail along the river.

The trail then opens up to a large field. If you go left you head towards Cheney Ave. We veered right through the field.

The trail then goes back into the woods and crosses a bridge.

After crossing the bridge the trail splits again. If you head left it takes you to Old Street Road and the Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail. If you bare right it loops back around to the parking lot.

Even though this trail is only a .6 mile loop we really enjoyed it. Set close to downtown Peterborough, it’s a beautiful little trail, great for all abilities.

Pinnacle Park

Distance: .5 miles one way

Difficulty: Easy

Pinnacle Park located in Hooksett, New Hampshire and is a great urban hiking option. Pinnacle Park is located on Pinnacle Street off of Rt 3A. The parking lot is marked with a sign on the right hand side of the road.

In the parking lot is a kiosk with a map of the trails in Pinnacle Park.

We followed the trail through the woods. There are no trail markers, but it is pretty easy to follow.

There is a trail off to the right that goes to a bench overlook. We did not check out that part of the trail.

The trail was a gentle inclined up to a lookout point, which provides views of Hooksett and the Merrimack River.

For little effort, a half mile to the top and being minutes outside of Manchester, Pinnacle Park is a great option for some pretty views.

Hogback Trail Greenfield State Park

Distance 1.5 Mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Fee for park use

Greenfield State Park is a hidden gem located in the Monadnock Region mostly known for its camping. In the summer it can be a popular day use area for swimming. Recently, I learned there is a nice little hiking trail located in the park.

Hogback Trail is located to the right of the Campground Office. We parked at the first parking lot when you enter the park, which is a small lot on the right. We walked up the road past the office to the trailhead on the left.

The trail went down a little hill to Hogback Pond. From here you can go left or right as the trail goes along the pond.

We went right and followed the trail along the pond. There are several spots where you get beautiful views of the pond.

There are benches along the trail if you want to sit and enjoy the scenery.

The trail was not marked, but it was easy to follow around the pond despite some trails that did lead off from the main trail.

The total distance from the parking lot around the pond and back was 1.6 miles. This was an easy hike with some beautiful water views. If you are visiting Greenfield State Park or are in the area make sure you check out Hogback Trail.

Beech Hill

Distance 1 Mile Round Trip

Difficulty: Easy

If you bring dogs because as there was a lot of broken glass at the top.

Beech Hill is an easy hike with beautiful views of Keene, New Hampshire. The trailhead is located on Chapman Road in Keene. Access to the trail is on the right hand side and is mark by a gate a couple signs with hours allowed on the trail. Parking is on the side of the road. The trail starts past the gate up a tar road.

It is a steady up hill walk up for about .2 miles before the road veers right past a water tower and flattens out. After another tenth of a mile you come to split in the road. The tar road continues left up to a cell tower. There is no view from here. We continued straight down a dirt trail.

After another quarter mile walk you come to the ledge out cropping. If you bring dogs please be cautions as there was a lot of broken glass here. The view of Keene was beautiful.

This is a popular place to watch the sunset. It was a short hike, only half mile to the ledges. We did notice some side trails, which some of them provide a short loop, but we did not know them. Beech Hill is a perfect walk in the woods if you want a quick hike with a nice view.

Nussdorfer Nature Area

Distance: .7 Miles Oneway

Difficulty: Easy

Located in New Ipswich, NH is Nussdorfer Nature Area. Located on Turnpike Road is the nature area. If you are heading into New Ipswich, the trail is on the left before you reach Mascenic High School. The dirt road to the trailhead is mark with a sign. There is a small parking lot and a small sign marking the trailhead.

I have hiked Nussdorfer Trail a few times and tried to get additional information, but I always feel like I am missing part of the trail. There are supposedly two trails, one to Hoar Pond and a Nature Trail.

The trail to Hoar Pond is very easy to follow. The trail is marked by yellow blazes.

The trails meanders through the woods and right before you get to the pond the trail goes though some beautiful Mountain Laurel.

After a .7 mile hike through the woods you come to Hoar Pond.

I believe from here you can walk the nature trail around the pond, but I am not certain. From the pond it appears there is a trail that you can go left or right. It was getting dark when we visited so I plan to go back another time and explore those trails further.

Overall, it is a beautiful walk to the pond and great for all ages and abilities.

Swimming Hole Dummerston Vermont

Vermont is known for its natural beauty, which includes many swimming holes. Located on Route 30 in Dummerston just south of Newfane is great spot for swimming. The parking area is located on the right as you are driving north out of Dummerston towards Newfane. Before you cross the bridge over Rock River is the entrance to the swimming hole. There is good size parking lot. When we drove by on a Friday afternoon the parking lot was full. There are signs for no parking on certain areas of the road.

There is a short walk down to the river. The swimming whole is located where the Rock and West River meet.

There are plenty of places to spread out on the rocks or sandbars.

If you are driving through and need a place to cool off, this is a great spot to stop for dip in a Vermont river.

Update: I have since gone back to explore this area more and discovered another swimming hole across the street, Indian Love Call. This swimming hole is for those who do not mind a hike that is challenging in some area due to ledge crossing along with clothing optional swimming. .

Winhall Brook Campground

Located in Londonderry, Vermont is Windhall Brook Campground. This campground is part of the Army Corps of Engineers. If you are looking for a campground full of amenities and activities this is not the campground for you, but if you are looking for some back to nature time and opportunities to connect with family and friends on a low key camping trip, this is the campground for you.

Winhall Brook Campground is a relaxing place to reconnect with nature. This campground has only a few electric and water sites, most of the sites are off the grid. There is two sections of the campground, a north side and a south side. The majority of the sites are tent or RV sites, but there are a few lean to sites. We stayed on the south side and had a campsite tucked into the woods with plenty of space from our neighbors.

Winhall Brook Campground is perfect for those who love to bike. The roads around the campground are paved, which was perfect for my daughter and her friends to ride their bikes around. There is also The West River Trail where you can bike for several miles if you are looking for a longer option.

The Winhall and West River run through the campground providing plenty of opportunities for water fun. I highly recommended bringing water shoes and a tube for the river. The river is very rocky. There is not enough water to kayak, but there are a couple places that if the water is high enough to can float down some rapids.

The primary swimming hole is at the end of the campground on the South Side, as this is where the water is the deepest.

This is also a popular area for fishing.

There are also a couple different hiking trails at the park.

We spent the weekend here with friends and really enjoyed our time. Much of the time was in the water, kids riding bikes and just enjoying time with friends. The only time we left the campground was Saturday night to get dinner.

Honeypie is a converted gas station into a burger joint, about four miles from the campground.

They are only doing takeout or outdoor seating, which is limited. Many people had blankets and were sitting on the lawn area. My husband had a burger, I had a veggie burger and my daughter had a grilled cheese. My husband and I each had a local beer. For dessert we treated ourself to a slice of honey pie which was delish.

Overall, we loved our camping weekend with friends at Winhall Brook Campground. We loved that the majority of the sites you could hear the river flowing at night, the opportunities for several outdoor activities and the cost at $20 a night, for a non electric and water site was amazing. The campground is pretty big and there is only 3 bathrooms so if you do not have a bathroom in your camper or are tenting you may want to look at the site map before picking your campsite. There also is little to no cell phone service in this campground. If you are looking for a back to nature campground where kids and adults are free to bike, hike and play in the water, this campground is for you.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

Distance: Several Options

Difficulty: Easy

Some trails are good for strollers

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park is located minutes from downtown Freeport, Maine. This Maine State Park is a day use park featuring a picnic area, several hiking trails, a rocky beach and a salt marsh for clamming. There is a small fee to enter the park.

The day we visited we met family members for a picnic. There are several picnic tables scattered around the day use area.

We enjoyed some time exploring the coast line, looking for shells and enjoying the beauty of this area. There is no swimming area at this state park.

There is also a few miles of trails. The trails are flat and easy to follow. Make sure you grab a trail map at the gate.

If you are looking to escape the busy shopping area of Freeport, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park is the perfect escape for people of all ages and abilities. We saw some families pushing strollers on some of the paths.
We were told on the weekends it can fill to capacity by late morning, so please plan accordingly.